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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Viciousness

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I've noticed that blogs written by people who believe Fr. Corapi did wrong to leave the active ministry have received a lot of comments by his supporters. Let's be frank. These comments are vicious ad hominems which attack the bloggers for being judgmental – and ironically they themselves are judging the motives of the bloggers, the bishop, the religious superiors of Fr. Corapi's order, accusing them of all sorts of things.

It is something which comes to mind when I consider today's Gospel reading. If such comments reflect the fruits of Fr. Corapi's ministry, what does it say of the tree? (Now keep in mind I have no idea what percentage of those following Fr. Corapi's new activities behave in such a way, so I will not say all are guilty or even most. They might turn out to be a small minority behaving in a way which is not approved of by Fr. Corapi).

So let's look at this.

If it is condemnable to judge the actions of Fr. Corapi it is also condemnable to judge the actions of those who write about him. Yet there are a certain portion of his supporters who angrily attack anyone who dares say Fr. Corapi is in the wrong to do as he did, accusing the bloggers of bad will.

I must call this hypocrisy. You who condemn judging. Do you judge? What gives you the right to judge in return? Why are they wrong to do so and you right to do so?

Moreover, do you judge the whole Church as being in error except for your tiny little corner of it? Is that not the kind of judging you condemn in those who believe Fr. Corapi is in the wrong?

Are you sure you do not have a beam in your eye, while trying to remove the mote in the eye of another?

Now, if you truly believe that Fr. Corapi is in the right and those thinking he did the wrong thing are in error, if you truly believe the bishop who began the investigation against him did so from bad motives, then demonstrate how this is so in a factual manner. Those who criticize Fr. Corapi's leaving active ministry can point to real wrongs he did (regardless of whether or not he is innocent of the charges of misconduct). Can you do the same without relying on Fr. Corapi's ipse dixit?

So let us behave like civilized individuals. Both those who believe he did wrong and those who did not are essentially people who try to be faithful Catholics, and do stumble at times. This vicious sort of attack of a bishop and of bloggers is unworthy behavior of those who claim to follow Jesus Christ.

Let us behave in a way of Christian brotherhood even when we disagree, lest we supply the enemies of the Church with ammunition while we turn on each other.